Dark chocolate and bacon cupcakes.

I've been wanting to make these for weeks, but it's been impossible to find dark chocolate cocoa in any of my local stores. I finally find a can from Scharffen Berger at the Amish Market. I'm a little disappointed that the cakes and frosting don't come out as black as in the pictures in the linked recipe, but they taste great.

Turns out I only have about half the amount of powdered sugar in the house as is called for in the frosting recipe. I plan to make up the difference with the regular granulated kind, but when I taste it I think it's just fine. Admittedly, I do tend to like my chocolate a little on the bitter side. Adjust for personal tastes, is my general point here.

Christina.

The Depreciation Guild (who do my favorite song of the year so far), Bowery Electric, East Village.

Duncan Sheik, Joe's Pub, East Village.

We Are the Song : After the Storm is a benefit to The North Rampart Community Center in New Orleans. You can read more about the extraordinary work being done by the After the Storm Foundation here.

Matt Doyle, Joe's Pub.

RBNY vs. Columbus Crew - it's a rematch of last year's championship match.











And with that, we win 1-0. That's two in a row!

Federal Hall.

Lemon buttermilk cupcake.

Zach Hurd at the Living Room, LES.

Red velvet cupcakes. The cakes themselves are lush. I need to take a class on how to do a good frosting, though.

Naomi, Trapeze School New York.

The Great Nationwide Kiss-In, Battery Park.

Mountain Dew cupcakes.

They don't come out so great. I'll try again, someday.

Ryan's birthday, The Pony Bar, HK.